Prime
Tracing Democratic Party divisions since 1964
Reigning DP president general Norbert Mao.
What you need to know:
Uganda’s oldest party has in the recent weeks been in the news over accusations and suspicion among its leaders. But this is not the first time the party is going through a rough patch. Faustin Mugabe revisits the party’s divisions since its inception.
On Thursday, the national executive committee of the Democratic Party (DP) suspended vice president of Buganda region, Ms Betty Nambooze, for defying party president general Norbert Mao.
Party vice spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbira said Nambooze had been suspended for three months and a committee had been instituted to investigate her conduct.
This came as a climax to the latest bickering that rocked DP, with party members accusing each other of being used by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to bring down Uganda’s oldest party.
While attending the NRA Liberation Day celebrations on January 26 in Masindi, DP vice president Mukasa Mbidde, who was invited to the podium by President Museveni, was called “good DP”, a statement that opened old wounds in a party that has been largely divided for more than a decade.
Museveni’s statement, together with his recent appointment of former DP national chairman Mohammed Kezaala and Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi to serve as ambassador and minister in his government, increased suspicion within the party that some members were being used by the ruling NRM.
Ms Nambooze, a member of the “bad DP” who was suspended on Thursday for defying Mr Mao and going ahead to organise a meeting themed ‘making DP great again’, dismissed her suspension as “a mockery” and described DP leaders as “enemies within” bent on annihilating the party.
But if accusations by the DP leaders are anything to go by, it will not be the first time Mr Museveni is ‘fishing’ from the 63-year-old party. The first time was in 1986 when a dozen DP stalwarts crossed to the NRM and were appointed Cabinet ministers.
They included former Leader of Opposition Paul Ssemogerere, Evaresto Nyanzi, Ssebaana Kizito, Israel Mayenyo, among others, who were ‘fished’ by Museveni after the fall of the military government of Gen Tito Okello Lutwa.
Origin of DP divisions
On December 31, 1964, history was made. Then Leader of Opposition Basil Bataringaya with five other MPs from DP crossed the floor.
The five who crossed with Bataringaya to join UPC were; James Ochola, MP South East Bukedi; Stanislaus Okurut, MP South Teso; M. K. Patel, MP South Jinja; Joseph Magara, MP South West Bunyoro; and Francis Mugeni, MP South Bukedi.
Speaking to the media about the DP members crossing to UPC, then prime minister Milton Obote said: “I can even say without having the opportunity to consult those who elected them that the majority of those who did elect them will welcome these decisions.”
“What remains for us to do is to explain fully to the country the decisions we are now welcoming, the reasons why the decisions were taken and what we hoped the country will gain by these decisions.”
Obote further said of Bataringaya: “I think I had my eyes on him [Bataringaya] since 1959.”
Asked if the decision by the Leader of Opposition to cross the floor was not intended to annihilate the Opposition, Obote answered: “These six gentlemen and ourselves are not motivated by a desire to destroy political opponents,” The Uganda Argus of January 1, 1965, reported.
Bataringaya told the media at Parliament that “many more will cross” to the government side. His prediction came to pass on June 22, 1966, when another DP stalwart from Kigezi sub-region, David Barisigara (MP Kigezi West) crossed the floor and joined UPC. His reason for crossing was that he wanted to be loyal to the new 1966 Constitution.
In a press statement issued on June 22, 1966, he said: “The country knows that one cannot eat one’s cake and at the same time have it. It is my inescapable duty to be true to my conscience and to be loyal to my country.”
“I have, therefore, decided on my own volition, uncoerced, and after hard and careful thinking to quit the Democratic Party and join the Uganda Peoples Congress, so that together with those members of the government side in Parliament I can render my contribution to the unity, progress and welfare of our country and our people under the new Constitution.”
DP Chief Whip joins UPC
In 1982, DP was again at the crossroads. Paul Ssemogerere was DP’s president general and Leader of Opposition at the time.
When disputes emerged in the party and he could not solve them, party Chief Whip John Magezi, also Iganga North West MP, and five other legislators crossed the floor and joined the ruling UPC.
The five were: Dr E. G.N Muzira, MP Jinja East; Dr D. K. Kazungu, MP Kamuli Central; M. P. Batumbya, MP Kamuli West; D. J. K. Nabeta, MP Iganga South West; and J. K. Mpaula, MP Kamuli East.
The six MPs in unison said the reason for joining UPC was because president Obote, under his prerogative of mercy, had freed some prisoners who included two MPs – Prof Yoweri Kyesimira, MP Iganga Central, and Alexander Waibale, MP Jinja North West.
Although the two DP members were pardoned by Obote, they however did not join his party. The two had been imprisoned for associating with the Yoweri Museveni rebels in Luweero who were fighting to oust the UPC government.
The 1984 DP split
In 1984, DP was again at the crossroads and for the first time it split. The breakaway faction called the Nationalist Liberal Party (NLP) was led by Tiberio Okeny, who was former DP vice president general.
Others who joined him were Cuthbert Obwangor, who became the party’s treasurer and former acting DP secretary general Anthony Ochola who became the NLP secretary general. Okeny said he left DP because president general Paul Ssemogerere had made the party “undemocratic”, saying Ssemogerere had failed to reopen district branches and also failed to call a special delegates’ conference since the December 1980 general election, and yet the 1985 general election was fast approaching.
The NLP remained a party on paper and in 1986 Okeny re-joined DP.
Former DP presidents Ssebaana Kizito (L) and Paul Ssemogerere (R)
Divisions after return of multiparty politics
2005 delegates’ conference
In the November 2005 delegates’ conference, former Kampala Mayor John Ssebaana Kizito defeated Nasser Ntege Sebaggala and current DP president Norbert Mao.
After losing to Mr Ssebaana, Mr Mao organised a boycott of delegates from northern Uganda from further participation in the elections, on grounds that the conference had become a Buganda business.
Because of this, the northerners did not elect their regional representatives to the national executive committee during the conference.
2010 Mbale conference
In the 2010 Mbale delegates’ conference, a section of DP members stayed away from the meeting.
The Mbale conference was boycotted by a faction led by Mr Samuel Lubega, who was eyeing the DP and national presidency. Others who boycotted were Mr Erias Lukwago (Kampala Lord Mayor) and a host of other legislators such as Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze.
A faction led by Lukwago and composed of DP politicians mainly from the Buganda region viewed as illegitimate Mao’s election as DP president. Mao’s leadership in turn backed Mr Michael Mabikke against Lukwago in the Lord Mayor contest which Lukwago eventually won.
Following that delegates’ conference, many DP leaders sat on the fence and watched as Mr Mao and his team navigated the party through the murky waters of politics.
Katomi vs Luweero
In the run up to the 2015 delegates’ conference, DP leadership organised grassroots polls. But the elections were marred by irregularities to the point that in some areas DP leaders engaged in physical fights.
All attempts at reconciliation having failed, DP held what could best be described as two parallel conferences.
The Mao-led group held their delegates conference at Katomi Kingdom Resort at Entebbe were they elected new leaders and amended the DP constitution.
The DP faction led by Lukwago headed to Luweero District where they held a rally and opened up offices.
